Oil well stuffing box



June 30, 1959 c. F. MOSELEY on. WELL STUFFING BOX Filed Jan. 20, 1954 INVENTQR. BY 6. E Moseley ATTORN/ES 2,892,643 OIL WELL STUFFINGB OX Charles Frederick Moseley, Barflesvill'e, Okla}. Application'January 20, 1954; Serial No; 405,199 1 Claim: ((31:286-16) Thiseinvention-relatesa to packing-glands, .and more particularly,-but not by .way of limitation, .to an improved sterling": box. adapted for" use around the polished. rod. of

a producing oil well.

As -it-is-.well knoWn -.in--.the--Oi-l industry,- the -majority of producingoil-wells are pumped-by ,useofnarodctype Pu ps The-pumping; unit is 'installed-.in the :bottomhof the oil well -.andis. actuated by ,a -string1of rodslfromlthe. surface; Well-ihead;-'isic0mm0nly called:thepolishedrod; A pack-.1

ing gland or: stuflinggboxis-ordinarilysecured to the well;

head: around= the polished rod to prevent a leakage. ofethe pumpedaoil -from-around the polished rod.-. The'stufling bOXeS'lHtuS B at the-present time, and particularly stuflingboxes=-utilizing:-cone=-shaped' packing rings; or glands; have two :compression or-follower members to retain the packing ringsi-in the desired position around thepolishedrod.

Thenuse; of two 1 followers :unduly increases the length of the zstufilng. .box unit and is cumbersome; particularly whenzreplacing the packing ringswofwthe:boxunite An.

other: common detriment 'in the-presentdaystuflingboxes isathe: subjection oflthe packingringsj to salt. water and. abrasive material-. clinging to the-:polished l'OdL. These member I toimaterially reduce ithe overall? length: of :the

stuffing sbox fiun'it and I facilitate replacement. 10f :the: packing zrin'gsz 1. This-invention also contemplates. the-.rnseiofi a nove]: lpackin'g: gland 'in'lthe lWer :end; of ithe: stufling box to wipe -abrasive :material:fromc1the1polishedrods, upon mpward rrrovement of the rod: The lower packing gland m'ay also be provided with an oilreservoir chant been; provide a constant lubrication of the:polished rod."

An -important 'object of this invention: is to reduce :toa mhiimum the overall 'length iof oil well. stuffing boxes: Another object: of this: invention is to provide' astufling box autilizingra: single packing gring. followerz'orcompres-ii sionizmemb er;

Another -object of this linventionris to remove abrasive The uppermost. rod, which: projectsfrom. the:

States Patent" C) materialifrom anroili welLpolished .rodrbefore the.abrasivez material can contact the packing ringsof::a:stufiingrbox;v

A further object of this invention is to prevent small particles ZWOm oifi of. .packing;=,rings Vfromtsfallin'g downwardly in an .oil. well. and .interfering withnthe operation of the pumping unit? A still further object of this inventioniis to provide a simply/constmcted stufiingbox whichtmay be ieconomical-ly manufactured. V

Otherobjects and advantages of-wtheiinventionfwvill' be evident-from the following detailed descriptionareadr.in coniunction with the accompanyinggdrawings, which=illustrate': my: invention.

Inithe'drawings:

Eigu'resl is an elevationalwiew ofna novel stuffingtbox with a. quarter section of the stuffing-box. removedtz.

.Ei'gure Z is a vertical. sectional view of a modifidioil well stufiing box.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary-vertical'sectional View of the lower portion of astufling. box

ree

Referring to: the. drawings sin detail, and particularly. Fig.;.l,- reference character 2 .generally designates a novel; oil-.well stuifing box comprising a tubular shaped housing. or body 4 having the-lower end 6 thereof reduced in.diam=. eterand externally threaded for connection with the .well. head :-(not. shown). An: oilwell polished rod .8: extends. through the central portion of the housing-4 and reciprm. cates. therein as will .be hereinafter set forth.

An internally threaded retaining ring 4 10 is secured tor external-1 threadsv 12 provided on. the upper-end 14 of .the.

a housing. 4. The retaining gringlfltis retained'in position;

on the .threads12. -by;a.transverse locking screw 16- which, extends intoone .ofiaplurality of vertical grooves18pro-r vided in the outer periphery of the housing 4.- It will, be: apparent that when the locking screw -l6isinsertedin one." ofthe-grooves 18; the-retaining ring lllcannot be threaded: or'unthreaded from the-body 4. A pair of diametrically opposed lugs -1 are'formed on theouter periphery of theretaining ring lit-to. facilitate-turning of the ring 10.-

The retaining ring .10 extends upwardly'above the upper. end 14 -.of -the:body;.4 andisprovidedwith an inwardlyprojecting,circumferential .shoulder 20-on-. the upper .end thereof forengagingqaltubular shaped floating compress. sion-member or packing ring -follower 22 loosely disposed" around the polished rod8." A circumferential shoulder;

V or--outward;flange 24-is provided 'on'the outer periphery of the .compressionmember :22 .toengage theshoulder 20,; and retaining ring 10. The lower end 26 0fthe-comprese; siony-member .22 1is tapered upwardlyiand inwardly in the manner of a cone andis adapted to retainapluralitw ofwsuper-imposed packingrings 28 inthebody 4-around. the polished rod 8.

A pair of fcircumferentialgrooves ,30 are formed, in-ther lower end. 26 0f ithe .compressionrmenrberzZZ to provide; spacedmoncentric shoulders-32, 34:and 36. The shoulders 32.10 36*contact the uppermost packingring 28 toimpose: a substantially: uniform; force over the entire area of the; packingningsrZSn Thus; thepackingrings 28-"will form: anz'eifectiveseabzbetweengthe polished. rod 8=andcthe inner. peripheryrof"therbody" 4;- The uppermostgroove 30* per mitszanzzexpansion. of the upper endof-the uppermost packingcring: 28=a1pona upwardrmovement of the polished rod. 8, thereby-minimizing thedamage to: this packing: ringiuponreciprocationof therpolished rod 8.

The. packing rings-281 are: substantially conical in con-'- figuration-vandaare :disposednin the body4 as shown'in Fig. 1 with the larger ends.38:ithereofsextendingdown wardlyz Theilowermostpacking ring 28 rests on a bottom shoulder 140101? "the body*-4-"provided:'by the "reduction "in diameter 'of-the body 49- Operation Thestufling box 2 is assembled on-the polished rod 8 as shown in: Fig. 1 with the lower end 6 0f the 'body'r4 threadedl'y engaged-with-the -well head. The polished rod- 8 reciprocates L vertically in: the --usual manner and moves through the packing rings 285 In the event the well fluid-:begins. leaking around thepolished rod-8 and through zthe. paeking rings 28y the retaining ring 10'-'maybe :tightened on the th'reads 12; The downward -rnovement of the retaining ring:10 is transmittedthrough the shoulders: 20 -:and .242and the compression: member 22 to therpackingr-rings 28; Thus the packing rings -28j'will be compressed: into; tightencontactxwith thepolished rodandthelinner periphery OfiihG bOdYA A1 modified astufiing :box- :generallyi'indicated at 42 is shown: in:'Fig.-"- 2. andicomprises a tubular body: 44 having: its: lower: end: 46a reduced in diameter and externally. threadedsforrengagement.witha ZWCH head: The\ body 44: iszt apereddownwardly vandcinwardly at :48: to. provide the lowerrreduced; end .46: Awpolished-rod 50==extends through the scentral :porti'omofithesbody 44rin the usual manner:

Amouelepackingrgland 52isinserted in the-lower pot-- tion of the body 44 adjacent the tapered portion 48. A portion 54 of the outer surface of the packing gland 52 is tapered to conform to the tapered portion 48 of the body 44 and provide a seat for supporting the packing gland 52. The upper end 56 of the packing gland 52 is tapered upwardly and inwardly to receive and support a. plurality of super-imposed and conical shaped packing rings 58. The packing gland 52 is formed out of a resilient or flexible material, and is provided with a central vertical bore of a size to provide a tight fit around the polished rod 50.

The packing rings 58 are retained on the upper end 56 of the packing gland 52 by a tubular shaped compression member or follower 62 loosely disposed around the polished rod 50. The lower end of the follower 62 is tapered upwardly and inwardly and provided with a circumferential groove 64, thereby forming a pair of vertically and horizontally spaced circumferential shoulders 66 and 68. The shoulder 68 contacts the uppermost packing ring 58 in proximity with the lower larger end 70 thereof and the shoulder 66 contacts the uppermost packing ring 58 in proximity with the upper smaller end or tip 72 thereof. An annular groove 74 is also formed in the inner periphery of the follower 62 adjacent the shoulder 66 to permit expansion of the tip 72 of the uppermost packing ring 58.

An annular groove 76 is formed in the upper end of the follower 62 to receive a pair of diametrically opposed arms 78. The arms 78 depend from an apertured bracket 80 loosely surrounding the polished rod 50 and secured to the body 44 by bolts 82. The bolts 82 are adapted to thread into nuts 84 secured to the body 44 by brackets 86 on opposite sides of the body 44.

Upon reciprocation of the polished rod 50, all abrasive material clinging to the polished rod 50 is effectively removed by the packing gland 52, thereby preventing abrasive material from coming into contact with the packing rings 58. The packing rings 58 will be slightly deformed upon upward movement of the polished rod 50 and the upper end 72 of the uppermost packing ring 58 will expand into the groove 74. In the event the packing rings 58 become slightly worn and well fluid leaks upwardly around the polished rod 50, the packing rings 58 may be further compressed by tightening the bolts 82. It will be apparent that when the bolts 82 are tightened, the arms 78 will be moved downward to force the follower 62 in a downward direction and increase the pressure on the packing rings 58 through the medium of the shoulders 66 and 68. The spaced shoulders 66 and 68 provide a compression of the packing rings 58 into tight contact with both the inner periphery of the body 44 and the outer periphery of the polished rod 58.

A further modification of the stuffing box is shown in Fig. 3, wherein reference character 88 designates a tubular stuffing box body reduced in diameter and externally threaded at its lower end 90. The body 88 is tapered at 92 to form the reduced portion 90. An inwardly projecting circumferential shoulder 94 is formed in the body 88 opposite the upper end of the tapered portion 92. The usual polished rod 96 extends vertically through the central portion of the body 88.

A novel tubular shaped packing gland 98 formed out of a resilient, or flexible material is disposed in the lower portion of the body 88. The outer periphery of the packing gland 98 is provided with a tapered portion 100 formed in the same manner as the tapered portion 92 of the body 88. A circumferential groove 102 is formed in the outer periphery of the packing gland 98 and provides a circumferential flange 104 above the tapered portion 109. It will be apparent that the shoulder 94 forms a stop to contact the flange 11M and limit downward movement of the packing gland 98. The upper surface 106 of the packing gland 98 is tapered to conical form to receive a plurality of super-imposed conical shaped packing rings 108. The packing rings 108 may be retained on the surface 106 in sealing contact with the polished rod 96 and inner periphery of the body 88 by any suitable compression means (not shown), but preferably the type shown in Fig. 1 0r 2.

A circumferential groove 110 of substantially semicircular shape is formed in the inner periphery of the packing gland 98 substantially in the central portion thereof and provides a reservoir 112. In operation, the chamber112 becomes filled with the well liquid and provides a constant supply of lubricant for the polished rod 96. In addition, particles worn from the inner periphery of the packing rings 108 will collect in the chamber 112 and will be prevented from falling into the Well and interfering with the well pump (not shown). It will also be noted that the packing gland 98 will remove abrasive material from the polished rod 96 before it can contact the packing rings 108.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the present invention provides a novel oil well stuffing box having a minimum length and utilizing a single packing ring follower or compression member. The use of a single packing ring follower, in addition to decreasing the overall length of the box, also facilitates tightening of the stufling box and replacement of worn packing rings. Abrasive material is effectively removed from the polished rod before it can contact the packing rings and particles worn from a packing ring are effectively trapped and prevented from falling into the well. It is also apparent that the present invention provides a simply constructed oil well stufling box which may be economically manufactured.

Changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as heretofore set forth in the specification and shown in the drawings, it being understood that any modification in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of the following claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A stufiing box for an oil well polished rod, said stuffing box comprising a tubular body of a size to surround the polished rod and having an inwardly projecting shoulder therein, said body having a tapered portion extending downwardly from the shoulder, a flexible packing gland in the lower portion of the body around the polished rod, said gland having a lower tapered portion complementary to the tapered portion of the body and cooperating therewith and having an angularly disposed flange on the outer periphery thereof of a size to rest on said shoulder, said packing gland having an arcuately shaped circumferentialv groove in the inner periphery thereof forming an oil reservoir around the polished rod, said groove extending for at least one-third of the longitudinal length of the gland, a plurality of super-imposed conical shaped packing rings in the body above the packing gland around the polished rod, and a compression member above the packing rings of a size to move in the body and compress the packing rings and packing gland, an adjustable sleeve threadedly secured to the body and adapted to control the pressure of the compression member against the packing rings, and means to preclude accidental loosening of the adjustable sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 881,687 Hoifner Mar. 10, 1908 1,044,787 Klingloif Nov. 19, 1912 1,898,311 Pettitt Feb. 21, 1933 1,964,237 Wheeler June 26, 1934 2,056,687 Moseley Oct. 6, 1936 2,254,862 Watson et al Sept. 2, 1941 2,564,912 McKissick Aug. 21, 1951 2,565,923 Hrdlicka Aug. 28, 1951 2,726,104 Boitnott et a1 Dec. 6, 1955 2,789,846 Moseley Apr. 23, 1957' 2,833,572 Moseley May 6, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,138 Great Britain of 1898 

